Sleigh-brake



' M. W. SEIFERT.

SLEIGH BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1920.

Patented Sept. 27,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. W Sez'ferf WITNESSES,

M. W. SEIFERT.

SLEIGH BRAKE.

- APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1920- a .w/ M F M.W Sez'fer mvENToR WITNESSESUNITED STA TEST:

PATENT -MA.RTIN WILHELM SEIFERT, OF MURRAY, UTAH. I

SLEIGH-BRAKE.

Application filed May 8, 1920. Serial No. 379,861.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention' will appear as; thefollowing description is read in connection with the accompanyindrawings.

In the rawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sleigh embodying the presentinvention,

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of e the same; 7

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail plan view of the steering and brakingcontrolled means;

Fig. 5 is a'small scale section on the llne 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. .6 is an enlarged view of the rear end of one of the runnersshowing the braking and steering shoe and the ad acent portion of theflexible controlling Wire or cable.

Referring to the drawings in detail, like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

The sleigh illustrated in the drawings, 1s designed as a coastingsleigh, but it is obvious that any well known type of propellingmechanism may be incorporated to provide a self propelled sleigh. Asillustrated the sleigh includes runners 10, upon which is mounted afloor or platform 11, which forms the lower member of the body of thesleigh, which body includes sides 13 and front and rear 14 and 15respectively.

The .body includes seats 17, the forward seat being provided for theoperator. The sides 13 are provided with front and rear doors 18-andwhen these doors are closed the occupants of the sleigh will beprotected from the cold or from inclement weather.

The particular novelty of the invention resides in the provision ofmechanism for controlling the sleigh-and to this end there is secured tothe rear ends of each of the runners 10, a housing or casing 19, withinwhich is pivotally mounted a, shoe 20, this OFFICE.

pivotal mounting being shown at 21. One

end 22 of the shoe is adapted to be depressed to engage the snow or iceoverwhich the sleigh is traveling, while the opposite end of the shoehas pivotally secured thereto a flexible element 23, preferably intheform of a wire cable. -Pivoted upon the upper rear end of each of therunners, is a bell crank lever 24, one end of the flexible member 23being securedto one armof the lever as shown at 25; Secured to the leveras shown at 26, is one end of, alfiexible element 27 the'opposite end ofthis element being secured, to a bell cranklever 28, pivotally mountedas shown at, 29 vupon a foot board 11 The lever 28 has also connectedtheretoas shown'at 30, one endof a flexible jele-1 ment 31, the oppositeend being connected to a toothed segment 32 which is mounted for pivotalmovement as shown at 33. The

foregoing mechanism is duplicated from each side of the sleigh and thetoothed seg-l ments32 are engagedand rotated by a 'cen-, trally locatedgear'34- The gear 34 is rotated through the medium of a steering wheel35,]

which is mounted upon one end of a steerin post 36 secured to the wheel35. a

By means of this mechanism either one of the shoes 20 may be depressedto act as a retarding means, whereupon the sleigh will turn in thedirection governed by the particular shoe operated. In order to hold theshoes 20 normally disposed above the lower 7 surface of the runners 10,eachof the shoes has connected thereto one end of a spring 37, theopposite end of the spring bearing against the housing 19.

Pivotally mounted within the body of the sleigh as shown at 38, is alever 39. This lever has pivotally connected thereto one end of aconnecting rod 40, the opposite end of this rod being pivotallyconnected as shown at 41 to an upwardly extending bar or post 42 carriedby a rock shaft 43, the latter being. mounted in bearings 44 on eachside of the sleigh. Also projecting from the rock shaft 43 adjacent eachend thereof, is a rod or bar 45, the outer end of which is connectedthrough the medium of a flexible element 46, to the flexible element 27previously mentioned.

By operating the lever 39, the shoes 20 will be simultaneously depressedthrough the rock shaft connection with the flexible elements 27.

From the foregoingdescription and the accompanying drawings, it will beapparent that by operating the steering wheel 35 either one of the shoesmay be depressed to change the direction of travel of the sleigh, or byoperating the lever 39, both shoes will be simultaneously depressed tostop the travel of the sleigh.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in its form, proportionsand minor details of construction and the right is reserved to make anychanges that properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is 1. The combinationwith a sleigh, of shoes pivotally mounted upon each of the runners andnormally disposed above the lower surface thereof, toothed segmentsmounted upon each side of thecenter of the sleigh and flexibly connectedwith the shoes, a

depressing the shoes simultaneously to provide a braking mechanism andmeans for normally holding the shoes in elevated position.

3. The combination with a sleigh, of shoes pivotally mounted upon eachof the runners and normally disposed above the lower surface thereof, asteering post, a gear mounted upon said post, gears mounted uponopposite sides of and engaging the steering cured upon each side of thesleigh and means post gear, a bell crank lever pivotally seconnectingeach of said bell crank levers with the gears operated by the steeringpost gear and means also connecting said bell crank levers with thepivotally mounted shoes for depressing the latter independ ently tosteer the sleigh, means for depressi ing the shoes simultaneously toprovide a braking mechanism and means for normally holding the shoes inelevated position.

l. The combination with a sleigh, of shoes pivotally mounted upon eachof the runners and normally disposed above the surface thereof, meansfor depressing each of the shoes independently to steer the sleigh,means for depressing the shoes simultaneously to provide a brakingmechanism, said means including a rock shaft having a flexibleconnection with the shoes and means for operating the rock shaft andmeans for normally holding the shoes in elevated position.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

MARTIN WILHELM SEIFERT.

